The present invention generally relates to a drive device for a vehicle having an engine and a motor and, more particularly, to such a drive device that is equipped with a single battery capable of supplying two types of power.
In conventional practice, additional batteries are provided to idle stop devices (drive devices) that require a main supply voltage (referred to as a 36-V battery hereinbelow) above that of a 12-V battery for common electrical equipment. A 14-V stator or a bi-directional DC/DC converter is preferably also provided to permit jump-starting of the equipment from the outside with a separate 12-V battery when the 36-V battery has deteriorated or expired.
The above-described conventional arrangement can be made to function by retaining the existing starter technology and mounting new batteries and idle stop starters. However, it is impossible to save space or reduce weight by retaining the existing 12-V system. Accordingly, manufacturing expense and product costs are increased because the system can only be installed on a limited number of car models.